stall.
“You’d better not be the reincarnation of some prince
or something,” I told him sternly. “You’ve seen me naked
way too many times.”
He tilted his head to one side. I sighed and sat down on
the cold tiles, not feeling the abrupt change in
temperature.
I was the new monarch. Apparently. All I had were
green eyes and a bird to prove it though. And the man I
loved was King.
I clutched my head. If I thought being reintroduced to
this world was too much, then this was way out of my
league.
“Sky?” I heard Dena call. I saw her boots under the stall
door. “Petre’s mother is looking for you.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” Biggest lie ever.
She hesitated for a moment and then walked out of the
bathroom. I dragged myself back to my feet and stood
under the water rebelliously for a few more minutes.
When I emerged from the bathroom, my damp hair
preventing Morri from riding on my shoulder, forcing him
to sit on my head instead, Matilda was waiting for me
outside my door. She was by herself this time.
“Where’s Sky?” I asked.
“With her brothers,” she replied. “Petre is rather taken
with her.”
We trotted down the stairs, and it was only when we
started heading for the dungeons that my heart began to
beat faster.
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to do this?” I
asked Matilda, trying not to sound like I was doubting her.
She came to a halt, halfway down the stairs. We were
only inches apart, our features illuminated by the
flickering torches in their brackets.
“Sky. I’m the last surviving member of a sisterhood that
has been around since Queen Fleur died. She had her
doubts about Iain and Netalia, so she brought together a
group of women to carry on her legacy. My mother was a
sister, and she passed her knowledge on to me. If you
hadn’t become Queen, I would’ve passed my secrets onto
my daughter,” Matilda looked at me in the half-light. “I
regret not being able to do anything before this, but
without someone to fight for – you - there was no point.”
“But why didn’t you do something when I arrived with
Petre a few years ago?”
“I had no idea who you were; Jett only tipped me off
when he brought you back. As for the repairs needed in
Abdoor, my pregnancy weakened me, and I wasn’t able to
practise magic the entire time I was carrying Sky. I also
didn’t want to risk losing her; I had no daughters, only
sons, and wouldn’t have been able to pass my knowledge
down as needed if you hadn’t come along.”
She continued down the stairs, and I followed. More
information to take in. It had never occurred to me when
I was visiting Petre’s family that his mother was the mage
out of all of them.
I hurried down the stairs to keep up with her. Though I
wasn’t looking forward to the two monsters in the cells
below me, I did want my magic back.
“Who are you?” Iain demanded, standing with his arms
folded in his cell. Netalia was determinedly ignoring both
of us.
“My name is Matilda Lyon,” Petre’s mother said,
folding her hands neatly in front of her. “You have
something that isn’t yours, and I’m here to remove it from
you.”
Netalia barked out a harsh laugh, and we turned to look
at her.
“You cannot possibly know how to remove magic from
someone,” she said, her voice cruel. “That art was lost
when Queen Fleur died.”
“Except for you, of course,” Matilda said, almost kindly.
“Is that what you’re implying?”
Netalia didn’t respond. Matilda lifted her hand, grey
light dancing around her fingertips.
“This won’t hurt a bit.” She said sweetly to Iain.
My former Master clutched his head as her magic
swirled around him. His face was screwed up in agony. I
remembered the exhaustion of waking up without my
magic, and for a second almost pitied him.
Then I remembered my trial, and any hint of pity fled.
The grey magic was pulling back, a glittering cloud.
Tendrils of white were laced
“You’d better not be the reincarnation of some prince
or something,” I told him sternly. “You’ve seen me naked
way too many times.”
He tilted his head to one side. I sighed and sat down on
the cold tiles, not feeling the abrupt change in
temperature.
I was the new monarch. Apparently. All I had were
green eyes and a bird to prove it though. And the man I
loved was King.
I clutched my head. If I thought being reintroduced to
this world was too much, then this was way out of my
league.
“Sky?” I heard Dena call. I saw her boots under the stall
door. “Petre’s mother is looking for you.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.” Biggest lie ever.
She hesitated for a moment and then walked out of the
bathroom. I dragged myself back to my feet and stood
under the water rebelliously for a few more minutes.
When I emerged from the bathroom, my damp hair
preventing Morri from riding on my shoulder, forcing him
to sit on my head instead, Matilda was waiting for me
outside my door. She was by herself this time.
“Where’s Sky?” I asked.
“With her brothers,” she replied. “Petre is rather taken
with her.”
We trotted down the stairs, and it was only when we
started heading for the dungeons that my heart began to
beat faster.
“Are you sure you’re going to be able to do this?” I
asked Matilda, trying not to sound like I was doubting her.
She came to a halt, halfway down the stairs. We were
only inches apart, our features illuminated by the
flickering torches in their brackets.
“Sky. I’m the last surviving member of a sisterhood that
has been around since Queen Fleur died. She had her
doubts about Iain and Netalia, so she brought together a
group of women to carry on her legacy. My mother was a
sister, and she passed her knowledge on to me. If you
hadn’t become Queen, I would’ve passed my secrets onto
my daughter,” Matilda looked at me in the half-light. “I
regret not being able to do anything before this, but
without someone to fight for – you - there was no point.”
“But why didn’t you do something when I arrived with
Petre a few years ago?”
“I had no idea who you were; Jett only tipped me off
when he brought you back. As for the repairs needed in
Abdoor, my pregnancy weakened me, and I wasn’t able to
practise magic the entire time I was carrying Sky. I also
didn’t want to risk losing her; I had no daughters, only
sons, and wouldn’t have been able to pass my knowledge
down as needed if you hadn’t come along.”
She continued down the stairs, and I followed. More
information to take in. It had never occurred to me when
I was visiting Petre’s family that his mother was the mage
out of all of them.
I hurried down the stairs to keep up with her. Though I
wasn’t looking forward to the two monsters in the cells
below me, I did want my magic back.
“Who are you?” Iain demanded, standing with his arms
folded in his cell. Netalia was determinedly ignoring both
of us.
“My name is Matilda Lyon,” Petre’s mother said,
folding her hands neatly in front of her. “You have
something that isn’t yours, and I’m here to remove it from
you.”
Netalia barked out a harsh laugh, and we turned to look
at her.
“You cannot possibly know how to remove magic from
someone,” she said, her voice cruel. “That art was lost
when Queen Fleur died.”
“Except for you, of course,” Matilda said, almost kindly.
“Is that what you’re implying?”
Netalia didn’t respond. Matilda lifted her hand, grey
light dancing around her fingertips.
“This won’t hurt a bit.” She said sweetly to Iain.
My former Master clutched his head as her magic
swirled around him. His face was screwed up in agony. I
remembered the exhaustion of waking up without my
magic, and for a second almost pitied him.
Then I remembered my trial, and any hint of pity fled.
The grey magic was pulling back, a glittering cloud.
Tendrils of white were laced
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